Speeches Audi press conference IAA 2013

I’ve brought the best light in the world with me. We call it: the matrix LED headlight. It shines brightly, without dazzling. It provides light as bright as daylight for the driver; nearly one billion light variations are possible and the oncoming drivers are not dazzled. That’s just one of many highlights of the new A8.

We have further developed the top model of the Audi brand. The A8 and the S8 are automobiles without any compromises in their materials and craftsmanship, in their technical equipment, or in their driving dynamics and comfort. The A8 is now even sportier, its design is even more distinctive. And especially the Audi S8 is an athlete.

It accelerates to 100 kilometers per hour in just 4.1 seconds. With cylinder on demand, we achieve both power and efficiency. The Audi A8 is the sportiest premium sedan in the upper size range.

And I also have to show you our emotive A3 Cabriolet:

With its acoustic roof, it’s great to drive the whole year round. The roof opens in 17 seconds – also while driving up to 50 km/h. The fourth member of our successful A3 family!

And now you are at the premiere of a completely new segment. Have a look at our new crossover – developed by Audi design, with support from Italdesign and with best technology from Audi.

Rupert StadlerChairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG

Ladies and Gentlemen,

the Audi nanuk quattro concept! An extremely athletic sports activity vehicle with the dynamism of a high-performance sports car and the DNA of an off-roader. The IAA is our testing ground for this car.

You remember our advertising spot with the Eskimos – grandfather and grandson looking at tracks in the snow? One of the tracks was of a polar bear – in the language of the Inuit: nanuk. With great strength and stamina, fast and agile on any surface. The powerful V10 TDI mid-mounted engine propels this car from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.8 seconds. And it feels just at home off-road – thanks to its air suspension and quattro drive system. The integral active steering combines intelligent steering of both the front and the rear axle.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Salvador Dalí once said: “I prefer to remember the future.” We at Audi prefer to create the future – day by day.

Keyword: growth.

In 2005, we set ourselves the target of doubling our volumes in just ten years. Today, we now know: We will actually manage to do it in eight. This year, we will already deliver 1.5 million cars. A big thank you to all Audi employees worldwide! And our offensive continues: with new plants, also on the American continent, and with an unparalleled rollout of new models.

Keyword: quattro.

We have already built more than five million cars with permanent all-wheel drive. Today, every second customer orders this drive system. “quattro is Audi, and Audi is quattro.”

Keyword: innovative drive systems.

This year, we have announced two tron offers: The Audi A3 e-tron is a plug-in hybrid. With a fully charged battery, you drive with zero emissions in the city. With a full tank, you can use the highways with no worries. Customers may order it from next spring on and with a price starting at approximately 37,000 Euros it has an attractive position in the market.

The Audi A3 g-tron solves the biggest challenge for electric cars: Storing energy practicably and cost effectively. With our synthetic Audi e-gas, you drive with a net zero carbon footprint. The energy turnaround is taking place at Audi also in the car.

Keyword: lightweight construction.

With every new product, with every new generation, we make our car bodies significantly lighter. That results in more driving pleasure, more emotion, less CO2 emissions.

Keyword: networking.

With Audi connect, we use swarm intelligence for a better traffic flow. Assistance systems increase safety and comfort, when the congestion pilot takes over or when an Audi drives itself into a parking garage.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the future belongs to those who make people’s eyes sparkle. Thirty years ago – in 1983 – it was our Audi Sport quattro that made eyes sparkle.

Dr. Ulrich HackenbergMember of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, Technical Development

Ladies and Gentlemen,

we are linking up with the rally successes of the eighties and the quattro tradition. And we are continuing to turn the wheel of time. That’s why this show car has an additional performance plug-in hybrid on board. The Audi Sport quattro concept combines: an electric motor with 110 kilowatts and a four-liter V8 gasoline engine with 560 hp and direct injection with biturbo charging. This allows us to access a system performance of 515 kilowatts, equivalent to 700 horsepower. Maximum torque is 800 newton meters. As a technological spearhead, this concept is based on the second generation of our vertical modular construction system.

With its short overhangs, this coupe is extremely sporty. Besides driving gear, lightweight construction plays a big role: In the occupant cell, we combine ultra-strong steel panels with a cast-aluminum structure. We make the doors and fender panels out of aluminum. And for the roof, hood and tailgate, we use carbon fiber.

For us, electric mobility does not imply sacrificing performance. You will notice that in every driving mode of this extravagant sports car: purely electric – with a range of 50 kilometers, or in sport mode – for maximum performance, or in hybrid mode – for maximum efficiency.

At Audi, driving pleasure and sustainability belong together. As an efficient plug-in- hybrid, this car manages a norm fuel consumption of 2.5 liters. Just 59 grams of CO2 per kilometer – that is a clear statement for such a sporty car with such a powerful V8 engine. This makes the Audi Sport quattro concept our most powerful plug-in hybrid.

Further information about the official fuel consumption figures and official, specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide to fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and electricity consumption of new cars,” which is available free of charge from all sales outlets and from DAT (Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH), Hellmuth-Hirth-Strasse 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen, Germany (www.dat.de).